On 5 December 2018, the Irish Seanad (upper house) passed the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018. The Occupied Territories Bill 2018 aims to ban the importation of goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) into Ireland as well as banning services or corporate links to illegal settlements.

The passing of the Occupied Territories Bill through Ireland’s Seanad represents a critical step in differentiating between unlawful settlement products and products originating from Israel proper. It further gives effect to UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) and to Ireland’s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention, making Ireland the first State to formally enforce the differentiation requirement. The Occupied Territories Bill will next be presented at the Dáil (Irish Parliament). Al-Haq strongly welcomes the adoption of the vote by the Seanad and urges continued support for the Bill at the Dáil. Al-Haq further urges States across the globe to take similar steps to uphold their responsibilities as third States towards ensuring respect for international law in the OPT. Should the Occupied Territories Bill be adopted by the Dáil, history will remember Ireland as the first State to ban the import of illegal Israeli settlement goods.